The Wrong Hostage
by RedSharkBait
Summary: In which Max makes a mistake but the Jokerz make a bigger one. Batman rights both wrongs. Oneshot, T just to be safe but nothing too bad happens.


_Author's Note: This is my first Batman Beyond fanfic, I'd love some reviews. I am a Terry/Max fan but this is mostly a friendship piece. Read into it what you will, however. :)_

_~RSB~  
_

The Wrong Hostage

**In which Max makes a mistake but the Jokerz make a bigger one. Batman rights both wrongs.**

Jokers are crazy, all of them. Anyone who dresses like_ that_ is obviously crazy. Max had always dismissed them as irreverent vandals and hooligans with no sense whatsoever, but she'd never really been afraid of them before. At least she hadn't been as afraid as she was now.

All Jokers are crazy, but this one was really something special. 'Two-Shoes' wore, as his charming appellation implied, had mismatched shoes – one was a garden-variety clown shoe, the other a gaudy orange cowboy boot. He had matching green socks that ended just below his purple shorts. He also wore a green tuxedo over a Hawaiian t-shirt, and a tie with a penguin on it over that. He could have almost been good looking were it not for the red clown nose, the white makeup, and the truly bizarre hair dye he had chosen.

Max's initial reaction had been that of most sane people. She laughed. That wasn't smart. She should have ran, and she did, but it was too late. Two-Shoes, moving faster than his insane footwear indicated was possible, caught her by the shoulder, spun her around, and slapped her hard across the face. Max gave as good as she got, lashing out with a brutal kick to his groin, but it wasn't enough for the other six Jokers she only now noticed.

Two strong arms held hers behind her back and someone kicked her in the stomach all while Two-Shoes laughed like an idiot. Then something pricked Max's neck and she spiraled into unconsciousness.

It didn't take long to find her, Jokers not being especially bright kidnappers especially under the influence of the new drug floating around these days. When he saw her, both his relief and his fury increased exponentially. She was tied to a wooden column in front of which the Jokers were playing cards, her normally pretty face marked by tears, bruises, and a ridiculous red nose. If the Jokers had been smart, or maybe even if they'd been sober, they would have known they were in trouble when Batman mumbled, "Goodnight, Freaks."

Max faded in and out of consciousness as Two-Shoes and his friends played Go Fish, got in a fight, and hurled paint-filled balloons at one another. She didn't remember much between kicking Two-Shoes and being brought here, and only hoped nothing too terrible had happened while she was unconscious.

"Hey, Two!" Someone yelped.

"Whaddaya want, Smokey?" Two-Shoes shouted back.

"What are we gonna do with our hostage?"

"Ya mean Pinky?" Two-Shoes questioned, stepping over closer to Max.

"We got any other hostages?" Smokey, whoever he was, shot back.

"Guess not." Two-Shoes said before bursting into a paroxysm of giggles. "How about a game of baseball?"

Max blinked and looked at her captor incredulously, hoping he was joking or that she was no longer lucid.

"Great idea!" A third Joker said. "I'll get the ball."

But Two-Shoes shook his head and picked up a baseball bat. "I don't need a ball. I've got her face."

Max fought back tears and tried desperately to faint. She didn't need to. A fraction of a second into Two-Shoe's first swing, something dark and blurry flew into his side at incredible speed.

Max fell back against the column she was tied to and mumbled, "Took you long enough." Then she fainted before she could watch Batman teach the Jokers a lesson.

Terry watched Max sleep, just grateful his friend was breathing. His anger had evaporated and now everything he felt was of a much softer nature.

"Terry?" Max whispered as her eye's fluttered open.

"I'm here, Max." was all he could say, gently taking her hand.

"What happened?" She asked quietly.

"What happened? The Jokers picked the wrong girl, that's what happened."

"And you saved me." She said, sounding almost amused.

"Of course I did. What are best friends for? You'd do the same for me."

"That doesn't make it any less awesome. Or heroic."

"So…how did this happen, Max? I told you to be careful."

"They just…they're so ridiculous, I had to laugh at them. Stupid clowns."

"They don't really want to be laughed at, Max. Don't underestimate them." Terry was sterner than he meant to be and regretted it.

"I…I won't, Ter. Not anymore."

"Good." He said more gently. "Now, aside from a bruise or two and an unhealthy amount of sedatives that should be gone soon, the doctor says you'll be fine. So I fully expect help with my chemistry homework."

She laughed at that, and he felt much better. "Sure, McGinnis, sure." She wrapped her hand tightly around his, looked up at him with her dark brown eyes and Terry couldn't help smiling back and gently kissing her hand.

"Get some rest, Gibson. I'm not going anywhere."

"A'right. Goodnight, Batman." She said quietly.

"Goodnight, Alfred." She didn't get it, but she smiled anyways. Then she closed her eyes, fell asleep, and Batman watched over his friend all night.


End file.
